Apparatus for refrigeration



May 15, 1923. www@ R. A. WILL-SON APPARATUS FOR REFRIGERATION Filed Oct. ll 1921 p Patented` May l5, i923..4

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RUSSELL a. wrLLsoN, or sromnn, WASHINGTON, Assrenort or cam-mr lTo anni) N. MARTIN, or sponsern-WASHINGTON.

APPARATUS ron REFRIGRATION.

application inea october 11, 192i. serial no. somete.

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Be it known that l, RUSSELL A. WIpLsoN, va citizen of thel Unitedl States, residing at Spokane, in Spokane County and Stateofl/Vashington, have invented certain newy and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Refrigeration, of which the following is 'a specification.

The present invention relates to an improved apparatus for refrigeration involving means for accomplishing the atomization.of a liquid and subsequent congelation or refrigeration of the atomized liquid, in the manufacture of frozen confections` such as ice cream, ices, frozen custards and similar products. Y

For convenience'of illustration and description of the. apparatus and process employed in carr ing out'rmy invention, I shall -hereinafter re er tothe making of ice cream as a concrete example, but it will be readily understood that the principles 0f the process, and the apparatus may be employed and utilized in the production-of other congealed ter congelation, is then packed and stored',v

, the apparatus 'or refrigerated articles.

ln the accompanying drawings l have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of the apparatus utilized in carrying out the process of my inventlon` in which the parts' are` combined and `arranged according to the best -mode l have so far devised for the practical application of the principles of my invention, and which embodiment has proven highly satisfactory and successful in actual use.

. The invention essentially consists in means employed for subjecting a liquid to treatment by first l, converting the liquid into atoms, then congealing the atoms while in suspension, and then precipitating 'the congealed product. The gathered product, af-

and the invention further consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts in the apparatus forgathering and packing the congealed material and in novel constructions for enhancing the efficiency of -employedfto carry out the process. f

.Figure 1 is a view showing a freezing chamber in section, together with the pneumatic apparatus lfor atomizing the. liquid, which' is afterward solidified, gathered and Aconveyed to its destination for packing.

. nozzles 2,

disclosed in the drawings the invention contemplates-the process and apparatus for solidihcatlon of 4a liquid especially prepared for the making of ice cream, and the liquid employed may have previously, been llavored, as desired or the congealed flakes as the are embodied in the mass or mixture may e mixed with iavoring flakes, sim'- ilarly prepared.

.In carrying out 'my process of refrigeration l utilize a refrigerating chamber or room A in which the temperature has been reduced, and is maintained,V at a temperature .below 320 F., or sufliciently below the freezing point to congeal the atomized liquid projected therein, similar to the snow flakes or frozen particles of vapor in the atmosphere in the form of feathery flakes.

The temperature of "the chamber A is maintained below the freezing point, and into the cold air of the chamber the liquid is projected in the form of atoms through a series of tubes or ipes l, located near the ceilingr of the Chamb zont'ally across the chamber.

Oney or more of the pipes l may be employed, and these pipes are provided with vertically arranged, downwardly projectin the pipe l forming a head an the' nozzles 2 being spaced atV regular intervals throughout the length of the' head, as seen in Figure 1. To prevent the liquid freezing within the nozzles and .thus ob-- structing the passage therethroughof the atomized liquid, I preferably encase each of the nozzles with a heateror heating device. In Fig. 3 this device is illustra-ted as an eleotric heater and comprises heat-ing coils 3 wound around the `nozzle and encased within the suitably insulated casing 4, the wireends 5 being connected to an electric su ply. The heat applied may be regulated 1n' such manner 4as to maintain the liquid at the proper temperature, within the nozzle,

to insure freedom of flow therethrough, and

er and extending hori-l is designed as a mixer for the liquid to be congealed. The mixermay be supplied with the necessary liquid and the desired liquid or other form of fiavor, and the mixing operation may be accomplishedv by suitable mixing apparatus within the vessel operated from the gear set 48, shaft 9 and belt 10.

from the motor 11. A

The required pressure of air is maintained in the mixer for forcing the liquid, either flavored or unflavored, to the nozzles, from the compressedair tank 12 which is connected to the mixer by pipe 13, and the pressure may be regulated or controlled 'by the valve- 14 in said pipe.

Thus the air pressure in the mixer asl l sists in forcing tleliquid from the mixer ,of the inclined bottom walls 15.

gradually falling to the inclined sides or' bottom 15,15 of the chamber.

`For venting the freezing chamber. which is closed at the upper portion by the top wall 16, I employ spaced interior side walls 17 extending from Athe ceiling or top of they chamber and terminating at the upper edges Between these interior side walls and the exterior side walls 18 are formed lateral, vertically extending passages or fiues 19. Atgthe upper ends of the fiues are openings 20 in the ceilfing 16, and additional'openings 21 are provided in thewalls 22 of the inclosure for the chamber, for exit of warm air, or rather for the exit of air from which the heathas not sufficiently been extracted.

The refrigerating coils 23 are supplied with any desired heat extracting medium passing therethrough, and as these coils are located in the upper part of the refrig erating chamber, the weight of the cold fair forces the air which may be at'a higher temperature, downwardly. The comparatively warmer air is thus caused to pass in the direction of the arrows in the chamber, 4and up through the flues 19,4 openings 20 and 21 and to the atmosphere, and insuring a circulation of the air togethel,` with elimination of comparatively warm air from the freezing chamber A.

When icecream 1s belng made, it will readily be apparent that the liquid ingredient from which the ice cream is to be prepared may -also contain the liquid flavor, as for instance in the preparation of peach vice cream, the peach syrup may be incorand porated in the liquid preparation within the mixer 7 by means -of proper agitators 0'1" mixers. Then this lflavored liquid is projected by air pressure, as well as gravity,

through the spraying or atomizing nozzles into the air within the freezing chamber, and the capacity of production will vary with the number of nozzles and heads used.

Instead of incorporating the li uid flavor, asqpeach syrup, with the liqui cream` to be "solidified before atomizuation, it will be obvious that the liquid iavor may be inf troduced separately into the refrigerating chamber A, as for instance through some of the nozzles 2. Thus the fiavoring syrup is atomized and congealed intoI feathery lHakes-similar to the cream flakes, and the fiavor and cream flakes are incorporated, while in suspension and floating to the inclined bottom portions 15, 15 of the refrigerating chamber. e .'The flakes ofcongealed moisture fall upon the inclined bottom walls 15 of the air chamber, and are then guided 'to the trans/- versely extending screw conveyor 24, which is operated in the central trough 25 through its shaft 26 and pulley 27, as by a belt, from a motor not shown.

The end 28 of the trou-gh .projects out? side the inclosure 22, and the screw conveyor may deliver the congealed cream or flakes into a waiting receptacle. But preferably a packingcan or carton 29 "is utilized to receive the material from the screw, which can as shown is slipped over the open end of the trough and held in position by the spring pressed retaining bar 30. -The bar horizontally disposed in the, opening 30 of a post 31 and 1s provided with a head 32 bearing against the receptacle 29, a

spring 33 being interposed between the head post compression therebetween. as t e screw conyeyer passes the material through the open end 28' into the receptacle 29, the resiliently supported or spring pressed head 32 offers the required resistance to insure proper packing 'of the material in the receptacle.

of the head 32 may of course be varied'. to

The resistance vary the density with vwhich the material is packed within the receptacle, by chang-j ing the spring 33 or varying the compression of the spring. And as the material is forced through the conveyer into the receptacle, the latter is backed ofl` the projecting end 28 of the trough by pressure of the material from. the screw, until' the receptaclewis filled to the required limit.

'A filled \\receptacle may quicklybe withl drawn` and an empty receptacle applied in its place, or the material may be permitted to fall into a waiting receptacle standing.' beneath the spout or delivery end 28 of the trough. The receptacles as indicated at 29l may be of different shapes, sizes and calll) CII

pacities, and the frozen material molded therein ready for distribution and use. Fruits, berries, &c, may be introduced into the material before molding, as for instance if cherry custard is being prepared, the liquid custard is first atomized and congealed, and as the co-nfection exudes from the spout 28 it may be caught in moldsto which the cherries are being introduced for the purpose of incorporating the cherries as a part of the molded or packed confection.

From the above description taken in connection with my drawings, it will be apparent that the ice cream, ice, custard, or other delicacy prepared as a confection in this manner will be of smooth and uniform texture, without lumps or small pieces of ice frequently found in the commercial ice cream, and the flaky consistency of the con# fection may be varied as desired, i.` e. the frozen material may be compacted or packed to a dense formation or may remain light in structure or texture.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure b v Letters Patent is l. The combination with an enclosure and means therein for maintaining the atmosphere at a temperature below the freezing' point, of liquid atomizers in said enclosure, means for receiving the 4congealed atoms from said atomizers, and spaced interior walls within the enclosure with their lower ends terminating above the bottom of the enclosureto form venting spaces.

2. The combina-tion with an enclosure forming a refrigerating chamber, of refrigerating coils in said chamber, means for atomizing a liquid in said chamber, means for SBE receiving the congealed atoms, and a spaced interior wall within the refrigerating charnber having its lower end terminating above the bottom of the chamber thereby forming Y a venting space having an upper vent-outlet. 3. The combination with an enclosure forming a refrigerating chamber, of liquidatomizing means including a nozzle in said chamber, refrigerating eoils\ within said Achamber adjacent to said liquid atomizing tric heating-elements associated with said' nozzles for preventing within said nozzles.

6. The combination with an enclosure having a bottom formed with converging walls and a conveyor therein, spaced side walls having their lower ends terminating above said bottom and forming vent spaces, liquid atomizing nozzles located in the upper portion of said chamberyand means for preventing freezing vof liquid within said nozzles, of refrigerating -eoils located adjacent to said nozzles for the purpose freezing of liquid described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

RUSSELL A. VVILLSON. 

